Tech startup FTX Trading raises fresh capital at $25 billion

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Tech startup FTX Trading raises fresh capital at $25 billion

Oct 21 Reuters - Crypto firm FTX Trading raised fresh capital at a valuation of $25 billion from a clutch of big-name venture capital investors, making it one of the most valuable crypto startups in the world.

The financing, led by investors including Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, Temasek and Tiger Global, is a continuation of an earlier Series B funding round from July, when the two-year-old startup raised $1 billion from SoftBank, Temasek and other investors at a valuation of $18 billion.

The latest round of funding of $420 - million, which attracted 69 investors, comes at a time when cryptocurrencies are facing tighter regulatory scrutiny in the United States and around the world. Founded by crypto entrepreneurs Gary Wang and Sam Bankman-Fried and headquartered in the Bahamas, FTX is the owner and operator of the FTX.com cryptocurrency exchange that caters to a wide customer base including retail investors, family offices and institutional investors.

The platform is currently not available to residents in the United States.

FTX also counts celebrity couple Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady among its backers.

In a statement on Thursday, FTX said its user base has grown 48% since its July fundraise and its average trade volume has surged 75%, averaging about $14 billion in daily volumes.